1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to elongated arms, threads, fibers or other like structures that are able to controllably bend and move variably with undulating or serpentine-like motions.
2. Related Art
Flexible or bendable arm-like structures have been described, such as for robotics, typically to position a distal functional end of the arm, such as a clamp or set of gripping fingers, etc., to carry out an operation in space, such as to hold an object. A number of mechanisms have been described to cause movement or bending of these arm-like structures. However, none of these prior systems are known to combine separate actuating mechanisms for (1) lengthwise elongation/contraction and (2) lateral bending movements in a manner that is simple enough to allow for its reasonable construction and operation on a smaller scale, such as part of a small thread, fiber, etc. Many prior arm-like devices have only one of these two types of actuating movements and/or require a complex construction. Many of these prior actuating mechanisms for elongated structures are also constricted in their range of motion and/or unable to be easily and reversibly constructed in a modular fashion to reach variable lengths.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for mobile or motive arm-like structures, threads, fibers, etc., that combine separately controlled elongation/retraction and lateral bending actuating movements that is simple enough in design to reasonably allow for its miniaturization (i.e., its construction and operation on a smaller scale). There is yet another need in the art for a mobile or motive arm-like structure, thread, fiber, etc., having a simple and modular construction that can be easily and reversibly constructed into threads, fibers, etc., of variable length.